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In Terry Gilliams fantastic voyage through time and space, a young boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time-traveling dwarves. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they plunder treasure from Napoleon (Ian Holm) and Agamemnon (Sean Connery)but the Evil Genius (David Warner) is watching their every move! Featuring a darkly playful script by Gilliam and costar Michael Palin, Time Bandits is all at once giddy fairy tale, revisionist history lesson, and satire on technology gone awry.Click here for more Criterion favorites!
Editor's Note
Plunging headfirst into history, director Terry Gilliam fearlessly brings the logic of children's fairy tales to bear as he navigates through myth and legend in a bizarre, ingenious retelling of THE WIZARD OF OZ. A boy and six good-natured little persons careen through time-twisting interactions with Napoleon, Robin Hood, and Agamemnon, among others, with a map the little people stole from their employer, the Supreme Being. But their intention is to rob their way through the past, which does not make their boss happy. Meanwhile, Evil is after the map in order to become the Supreme Being himself. The result is an extraordinarily visual extravaganza that overflows with Gilliam's ecstatic vision. The film is shot from a child's viewpoint, both through the character of Kevin and the placement of the camera. One of the morals of this thoroughly enjoyable, charming fantasy is that heroes aren't always all they're cracked up to be. Fun special effects and great supporting performances abound, including terrific turns by Ian Holm, John Cleese, Ralph Richardson, and especially David Warner as Evil.
Plot Summary
In Terry Gilliam's brilliant epic voyage through time and space, a group of diminutive assistants to the Supreme Being steals a much-coveted map of the universe that reveals gaping flaws through which time travel is possible. When they invade the bedroom (through the wardrobe, in an homage to C.S. Lewis's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA) of a young boy named Kevin, he joins them for run-ins with Napoleon (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (Monty Python's John Cleese), Agamemnon (Sean Connery), an Ogre (Peter Vaughan), and Evil (David Warner). The darkly playful script is co-written by Gilliam's fellow former Pythonite Michael Palin, who also appears in the film.
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